# Run a Cron Job Every Quarter

> The cron expression for quarterly jobs is 0 0 1 */3 * — midnight on the 1st of January, April, July and October. Breakdown, next runs and variations.

```
0 0 1 */3 *
```

In plain English: At 00:00 (midnight), on day 1 of the month, in every 3 months.

*/3 in the month field steps through the year from January: 1, 4, 7 and 10. Combined with day 1 and midnight, 0 0 1 */3 * runs once at the start of each calendar quarter — the natural schedule for quarterly reports, key rotation and access reviews.

## Field by field

| Field | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | `0` | 0 |
| Hour | `0` | 0 |
| Day of month | `1` | 1 |
| Month | `*/3` | every 3 months |
| Day of week | `*` | every weekday |

## Variations

- `0 0 1 1,4,7,10 *` — the explicit-list equivalent
- `0 6 1 */3 *` — 06:00 instead of midnight
- `0 0 1 2-12/3 *` — shifted quarters: February, May, August, November

## FAQ

### Does */3 in the month field start in January?

Yes. Month values run 1–12 and a step starts at the beginning of the range, so */3 means January, April, July and October.

### How do I run at the end of each quarter instead?

Cron has no 'last day' syntax. Schedule 0 0 28-31 3,6,9,12 * and let the job continue only when tomorrow is the 1st.

## Related schedules

- [0 0 1 * * — Run a Cron Job on the First of Every Month](https://www.devkult.com/cron/first-of-month.md)
- [0 0 1 1 * — Run a Cron Job Once a Year](https://www.devkult.com/cron/every-year.md)
- [0 0 1,15 * * — Run a Cron Job Twice a Month](https://www.devkult.com/cron/twice-a-month.md)

Open the interactive page: https://www.devkult.com/cron/every-quarter